Advertisement
Tickets $10!When D. A. Pennebaker's ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM: COMPANY was first shown at the 1970 New York Film Festival, it caused considerable stir. A police riot squad had to be summoned to quell the outraged guests who were turned away, unable to get into the theater. Documenting the grueling 18.5-hour recording session for Stephen Sondheim's musical "Company," which had recently opened on Broadway, the film has since become renowned for Elaine Stritch's show-stopping multi-take performance of "Ladies Who Lunch." Although it was less than an hour long and intended for television, it seemed for an instant that it could be released successfully in theaters, with Columbia Pictures even expressing interest. But the legal problems were considerable, and eventually ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM: COMPANY had its television run in the U.S. and UK, and then disappeared. But over the next 30 years, Pennebaker received a steady stream of requests to show the film, from people who had seen it or heard about it. Midnight phone calls from Los Angeles and Berlin, and the weight of fans who considered the music to be among Sondheim's best, finally persuaded Pennebaker to resurrect the project. After years of legal unraveling by son Frazer Pennebaker, and with the help of all participants and their lawyers and agents, ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM: COMPANY lives again! (Note adapted from Pennebaker Hegedus Films.)
Part of the Stephen Sondheim Remembered series, for the full lineup visit: https://bit.ly/StephenSondheimAFI
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, United States
Tickets